Savannah Fire & Emergency Services responded and was working to contain the intense fire, which was still burning three hours later. The department has asked hotels and SCAD buildings north of West Bay Street to shelter in place or evacuate. They are expecting smoke to start coming closer to the ground, making air-quality worse in the area of West Bay Street.

GPA spokesman Robert Morris said no one was in Warehouse No. 3 at the time the fire broke out and no injuries have been reported.

The fire broke out late morning.

“We sent a second alarm to get more resources here," said Savannah Fire spokesman Mark Keller. "We are positioning the industrial firefighting equipment that we have to draw water from the river. We have mutual aid with Garden City. They’re bringing their industrial firefighting equipment also."

The industrial firefighting equipment includes submersible pumps that can draw water from the river.

The large warehouse has fire walls and firefighters are watching those carefully in hopes of keeping the fire contained to the single building.

As of about 1:30 p.m., firefighters had not been able to enter the structure, Keller said.

There’s not much of the facility that’s left,” he said.

The burning rubber had been imported from Indonesia for the manufacture of tires.

Ocean Terminal is Georgia Ports’ bulk and break bulk facility, located on North Lathrop Avenue, just west of the Talmadge Bridge.

Garden City Terminal, GPA’s massive container facility, is located downriver and has not been affected by the fire, Morris said. The Savannah River is currently open to ship traffic.

SCAD has closed Adler, Alexander, Fahm and Hamilton halls due to the smoke.